Posts by anthonyseippel

This class has opened my eyes to things. Has made me realize the near infinite amount of interconnections that weave together this massive system of multi-media entertainment. However, it has also offered up many questions. I understand the basic definition of transmedia media, but I feel it is so broad that it leaves out a great deal of possibilities, yet, paradoxically, so narrow to suggest that there is a chance that certain things may not count, even though they should. With that in mind, I present the question, is a soundtrack transmedial? If a song makes distinct references to a certain event, be it real or from a fictional work, is it not breaching the gap of media mediums? What if there are no lyrics but hearing the song reminds you of the very scene from the film it was used in? Does Lux Alterna from the Requiem for a Dream soundtrack count as transmedia simply because it’s haunting strings hearken back to the dilapidated lives of the characters of the film? Does the Pokemon battle theme music count as a cross platform / multimedia piece not simply for it’s use in multiple games, films, and shows, but for the simple fact that hearing it puts you back in the mindset of a Poke-master? A goofy idea no doubt but no less one that you are reminded of when hearing those eight bit toons through small speakers. You can almost feel the D-pad under your left thumb and the A/B buttons under your right when it plays on someone’s phone as their ringtone. So do these things count as transmedia if the main media they play through isn’t exactly a tangible / physical one, but rather best understood as a collection of memories in one’s head? In a way, music often works as the bridge between mediums. Many films recycle themes regardless of how different the subject matter is. In doing so, one is often reminded of the original use of the piece. While the film Vantage Point used the theme of 300, “To Victory” in its trailer, 300 itself used Nine Inch Nails “Just Like You Imagined” in its own trailer. As NIN songs have been used again...

As I casually clicked through Imgur during some down time I came across this; a collection of reworked modern movie posters depicting older, classic actors and art by artist Peter Stults. The idea was to show what the modern day films would have looked like had they been released years ago, noting the styles and visuals, film quality, and actors. It was amusing to see these modern day marvels of CG turned into a laughably stylized exhibit of the absurd, as it suggested Christopher Walken to play the T-1000 in Terminator 2, Mick Jagger as James Bond, Clint Eastwood as General Zod in Superman, and Frank Zappa as The Dude in The Big Lebowski. You could tell that all of these were done with the endearing recognition that actors in the past were cast for what they were to the public eye over how well they could act. (Not to say Walken or Eastwood couldn’t act, but can you imagine them in those roles?) This was no more prevalent than in the poster for Avatar, in which the lead role went to none other than William Shatner himself. My first assumption was that this was due to the fact that he was from Star Trek and was used to working with alien species on distant planets. The whole sci-fi kinda thing already fit him and his fan base. But then I noticed the bottom left of the image. Shatner, as his Avatar, making out with the native played by Natalie Wood. Shatner, as a blue person, kissing a blue alien. Now if this wasn’t an inside joke / jab at Shatner’s character on Star Trek I don’t know what is. The captain always trying to get busy with the alien species. This very idea was even stressed in the first film of the reboot of the series with Chris Pine as Captain Kirk making out with some green chick. Now of course, an entire paper could be written on this regarding actors and the dangers of typecasting. But I’m using it to note the prevalence of transmedia. Not only do these posters show the very idea of transferring film from the current media, with all it’s bells and...